After the Night There's a Brand New Day
by Chablis
Summary: “All you have to do is follow him.” Ishimora replied, as he pulled out a small Polaroid from his suit jacket. Go on.


Okay, I don't write fanfiction much after a bad experience (I wrote a story that sucked to high heaven and I'm still reeling from the after effects). But that was another time, another place, and I was suffering insomnia coupled with a dangerous sugar high. Time to get back on the metaphor and try again….

So this story is a Ryu fic, because there just aren't enough Ryu fics and I have just decided to write one. Also this story is AU so it doesn't actually follow with the original storyline. Tao Ren and Yoh are going to show up, but as for others that's a bit up in the air. So read and review. Oh, and if you are going to flame make it very precise and cite all of the mistakes that I made, that way I can take your flame and critique it too. Then we all learn something new!

Oh, I don't own Shaman King

Overwhelming Sensations by Chablis

Tokagero grimly remembered the time Ryu had gotten his hands on a large amount of heroin that was of finer quality then the ordinary shit that he usually procured, and the people he had invited over to share the wealth had considerately decided to bring a large batch of pcp along with them. The whole incredibly embarrassing ordeal that followed had ended in Ryu sitting in the bathtub, soaking wet, his clothes plastered to his body as he sat in the now freezing water while large chunks of raven hair drifted around him, the bathroom foggy with trapped humidity. Ryu's remaining hair diverged out in odd places, falling just past his ears. His pompadour, the hairstyle that he had been so proud of, now drifted around his trembling body, cut off in a moment that would seem like a surreal dream upon waking.

His eyes had been softly focused on the bathroom wall and his mouth twitched occasionally. He hadn't seemed to notice that Tokagero was floating above him. He was lost in his own distorted version of reality, and he wouldn't be back until the drugs had worn off, and his mind had regained the ability to concentrate. Then, he would be all nerves.

Twitchy, and jumpy coupled with lethargy. Sitting in a perpetual cave chested slouch, wearing long sleeves to hide the ever-growing network of scars that continually spiraled up his arms from his now dwindling amount of friends. His mouth twisted in a cynical sneer, that of a man who was trying to hide the fragile neediness that was consuming his life, while trembling hands clutching desperately at a cigarette.

It was pathetic, Tokagero thought, but he couldn't abandon him, they were bonded by destiny. Or that's what he kept telling himself, chanting it over and over again when times were hard, like a mantra.

It was akin to watching a train wreck in slow motion, he mused, you couldn't fucking look away and he was damned if there was anything he could do about it. Sure he could try and talk to Ryu. Convince him that he needed to check himself into a self-help program, or bum the money off his parents for a rehabilitation program. Threaten to leave if Ryu didn't do anything about his behavior, but it always ended the same way. Empty promises of getting help, reconciling with parents, getting a steady job, followed by Tokagero finding Ryu passed out on the carpet a half filled bag of China white on the table and an empty syringe laying beside him.

"Tokagero, I got an errand to run. Wanna come with?" Ryu questioned. His hands were planted in the pockets of his windbreaker, and a scarf was wrapped clumsily around his neck. The jacket was two sizes too big for the teen, making it almost painfully obvious how thin Ryu had become. The haircut still took some getting used to though. B-ball's sister, an aspiring hairdresser, had layered his hair and evened out the unproportional bits. The front strands fell below his ears, framing his face, and the rest was pulled into a lazy ponytail. The bokato that had earned him his nickname hung at his hip, more for familiarity's sake then anything else these days.

He pulled out a pair of sunglasses from his jacket pocket, and slipped them over his constricted pupils.

"Sure Ryu." Tokagero shrugged and floated behind his shaman as they made their way out of the apartment. They silently trudged through the crowd of people lining the streets of the Funbari Hill district. Ryu had to catch his breath less then a mile into their walk while Tokagero waited impatiently for Ryu to recover.

Soon they started off again, and Tokagero swore when their destination came into view. "Fuck Ryu, we're not going back their again. Come on let's go someplace else." Ryu shook his head, and began to walk faster toward the small building. It was called The Singing Garden, and was a small slightly tarnished café that occupied a cramped corner at the edge of Funbari, squeezed in between a Laundromat, and a small European grocer.

Ryu pulled open the door and a small bell jingled in response. Tokagero floated in morosely as his eyes adjusted to the intense change of light. The café was lite only by two small lamps attached to the eastern and western walls, and the windows were covered with posters, flyers, menus, and advertisements, allowing only the slightest rays of light to shine through the dusty gloom.

"Ryu good to see you." A hoarse voice called out from one of the darker recesses.

"Fuck." Tokagero cried exasperated, "Ryu, you told me you stopped seeing that piece of shit weeks ago." Ryu ignored the angry bandit and worked his way over to the small table for two.

Katsu Ishimora stiffly stood, beckoning Ryu to take a seat, then promptly sat back down. He was tall, gangly, and looked out of place in the well-tailored suits that encompassed his body. His complexion was sallow at best, and every conversation that he contributed to always seemed to take a turn for the melancholy. He signaled the waitress over to their table, and promptly ordered two coffees. Before she could ask if they wanted anything else, he had promptly shooed her away much to Ryu's embarrassment and the waitress's chagrin.

"So is your lizard companion here?" he asked, vaguely gesturing to the space above Ryu's head. Ryu nodded, though in actuality Tokagero was levitating disdainfully over Ishimora's head.

The waitress returned and placed the two coffees upon the table none too gently. "I require more creamer." Ishimora stated. She reached into her apron pocket and threw down a handful of creamers. "Thank you so very much." He said dryly. 'Asshole.' She mouthed before leaving to check on her other cliental.

Ryu pulled a cigarette from his jacket pocket, and discreetly lite it with a disposable bic lighter. As he inhaled, he saw Ishimora waving his hand in front of his face, exaggeratedly warding off the smoke.

"Smoking is a filthy habit you know." Ishimora sniffed, turning his head away from the fumes, until he was staring at the fading floral wallpaper. Ryu rolled his eyes, and quickly stubbed the cigarette out onto the plastic table liner. The older gentleman frowned, then picked up a napkin and quickly brushed away the offending ash.

"I suppose you're wondering why I called you here?" Ishimora questioned.

"Not really." Ryu shrugged as he fiddled with the windbreaker's zipper. "I figured you were just setting up another 'meeting.'"

"No, this isn't just another transaction, Ryu. The Boss is interested in your abilities. He, thinks that it might be in your best interest for you to carry out a job for us." Ishimora said smoothly, while observing Ryu's reaction to the news.

He continued to mess with the zipper. Slowly pulling it down until it was chest level, and then slowly zipping it to the collar.

"Ryu?"

"Oh, yeah. Well it certainly sounds interesting. What are the specifics?" he asked gradually snapping out of the daze.

"All you have to do is follow him." Ishimora replied, as he pulled out a small Polaroid from his suit jacket. It was obviously taken from a distance, and the subject clearly had no idea that he was being caught on film. The young man in the photo was shopping at one of the many tourist kiosks that lined the streets near Funbari temple, and was holding up a small key chain of Buddha. A bulky pair of headphones covered his ears, and he wore an expression of lazy good-natured ness.

"Go on."

Okay that's it for now. How do you like it so far? I'd appreciate any reviews or feedback I can get. The more reviews the more I'm motivated. The less, well I don't know…. I'll still probably try and write more any way.


End file.
